BBC iD

BBC navigation

Share this page

Healthy living: How to live longer

It is possible to live a longer and healthier life

Some aspects of our health and vitality are governed by our genes and how our mother behaves during pregnancy, but many lifestyle factors, including fitness, diet and weight all impact on our ability to live a long and healthy life.

Start young

Even before we are born, our health can be affected by the lifestyle choices our mother makes. Studies have shown that if an expectant mother is highly stressed this may impact on their baby, leaving them less able to handle stress later in life.

Heavy drinking during pregnancy can lead to foetal alcohol syndrome in babies - which can cause a life-long learning disability as well as physical problems. Smoking can also affect their development. Research also suggests a pregnant woman's diet can increase her child's risk of obesity by changing the unborn baby's DNA.

Having a happy childhood may boost longevity, as a study suggests those who are unhappy in their youth have a greater risk of heart disease as adults.

Getting outdoors is also key, as sunlight is an important source of vitamin D. At present one in four children are deficient in this vitamin, which is needed for building strong and healthy bones. Vitamin D helps our bodies to absorb calcium and phosphorus from our diets.

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Is life expectancy in our DNA? The caps at the end of chromosomes called telomeres could indicate the life expectancy of a young bird

Benefits of exercise

The pressures of home and family life can make it feel like there's little time to exercise. Aside from weight loss, there is a lot to gain from exercise and it can make a huge difference to staying healthy:

In a similar vein, research has shown that people who marry live longer than those who are single. The researchers believe that those who marry have better social support networks, minimising the risk of isolation.

Avoiding junk food

A good diet is central to overall good health, though avoiding certain foods and drinks may help prolong your life. Eating too much high-calorie food rich in simple carbohydrates (sugars) or fat could lead to weight gain or obesity.

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

NICE's Professor Mike Kelly discusses the dangers of trans-fats

Some fats are known to be particularly bad for you. Trans-fats, made from hydrogenated vegetable oil, can be found in margarine, biscuits, cakes and fast food. It can raise the level of our 'bad' cholesterol, significantly increasing the risk of atherosclerosis which blocks arteries, leading to heart disease and stroke.

Reducing salt intake is also important to keep your heart healthy, as eating too much salt could lead to high blood pressure - which in turn may lead to heart failure, stroke and other complications.

Drinking too much alcohol can also have devastating effects on our health - not only can it leave us with a hangover the next day, but drinking more than the recommended intake on a regular basis can also cause long-term damage to the body's internal organs. Chronic misuse is one of the major causes of liver disease.

And finally, is it all in our DNA?

Although there are measures we can take to help us live a long and healthy life, there may be an element of luck involved - depending on our DNA.

Much research into ageing has been focused on the role of telomeres. These are the protective tips found at the end of chromosomes, sometimes likened to the tips of shoelaces. Their role is to safeguard the end of the chromosome and to prevent the loss of genetic information during cell division.

Each time our cells divide, the tips of our telomeres become shorter. Eventually they become so short, they stop our cells dividing which means the cells die, which is how we age.

Studies have revealed that longer telomeres have been linked to a longer lifespan, while shorter telomeres have been linked diseases such as heart disease and dementia. Longer telomeres can also be inherited by the next generation.

Maybe one day in the future, we will be able to predict how long we will live for.

This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.